


Wrestler's Retrospective

by Eryiss



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - WWE, Alternate Universe - Wrestling, Costumes, Episodic Structure, First Kiss, First Meetings, Flirting, Fluff, Homophobic Language, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Men supporting each other, Minor Angst, Newspaper Article, One Shot, Slow Burn, Teasing, Wedding, Wrestler Freed, Wrestler Laxus, Wrestling innacuracies, but nothing graphic, joking, mentions of injury, serious conversations, suggested sexual content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:09:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24390358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eryiss/pseuds/Eryiss
Summary: Laxus Dreyar and Freed Justine are two of the most famous and influential sportsmen in Fiore, revolutionising the culture of modern wrestling. In this unique, exclusive retrospective, two of the most powerful people in the sport speak of controversy, succeeding in wrestling, and finding love while doing so.
Relationships: Laxus Dreyar/Freed Justine
Kudos: 24





	Wrestler's Retrospective

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone. After talking about it in the Fraxus Discord, I decided to write this idea I’ve had in my head for a while. It’s a bit unique, mainly told in flashbacks, and I hope you like it. Also, just a warning, I know very little about wrestling, and a lot of assumptions have been made. Take that into account.
> 
> As always, thank you so much for any comments and kudos you leave. They mean so much. And I've got a [Tumblr.](https://eryiss.tumblr.com/)  
> Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading.

_When I first saw them, it was hard to believe that they were perhaps two of the most influential wresters of modern time._

_They had invited me into the prestigious Fairy Tail training facility, and currently sat in the back corner of a large canteen. The moment I walked in it was clear that they were close, smiling to one another and laughing; a stark contrast to the personas they're known for. Of course, I wasn't interviewing the characters of The Lightning Dragon and Absolute Shadow, but rather the men that brought them to life._

_Laxus Dreyar and Freed Justine are part of a new age of wrestlers, both in the ring and out of it. Being key parts of Fairy Tail's rise to prominence, there is no understating how influential these two men have been to the sport._

_Having faced both controversy and acclaim in their years, it's fair to say they're no strangers to being in the tabloids. But, after the sudden public announcement of their recent wedding, they have decided to come to us to speak of their relationship, their careers, and how their lives have changed due to the glorious sport of wrestling._

**_So, how long have you two known each other, and how did the two of you meet?_ **

_Laxus: God, it was a few years ago. And it was in my grandfather's office, actually._

* * *

Laxus sat nervously, his leg jumping slightly as he watched the back of his grandfather's head. The old man had turned his chair away, looking to the back wall as he spoke into the receiver of his phone. Despite the office being small, Laxus was having trouble hearing the conversation, and it was making his already tense nerves swell and churn in his stomach.

"Right," Makarov said, a little sigh in his voice. "Well, thank you."

When Makarov turned in his chair again to face Laxus, his expression was downcast and a little sad. That was why he had chosen to speak in a voice Laxus hadnt been able to hear then, to spare his feeling at what was being said.

"Sorry Brat," Was what he eventually said. Laxus leant back in his chair.

"Shit."

It was all he could think to say. He had auditioned for the S-Class – perhaps the biggest wrestling federation in Fiore – over a month ago. Ever since he had been dreading getting the phone call telling him if he had been successful or not, to the point where some of his nights had been sleepless and he had thrown himself into training as a distraction. Today was the day they let him know whether he was in or not; clearly, it was the latter.

"Do I wanna know what they said?" Laxus asked, running a hand through his hair. His leg was still bouncing.

"They said they could see you as part of their organisation if you maintained the villainous side of your character," Makarov explained, and Laxus deflated further. "But not the protagonist."

"Shit," He repeated.

"We knew this was a possibility," Makarov continued, leaning forward a little. "We've got a few options as to what we do next. And they said that, if you're willing to reconsider the villain aspect, we have until the end of the week to-"

"I don't fuckin' want to be the villain," Laxus cut him off, standing up. He needed to move. "I ain't got enough fuckin' flair to be the kind of villain they want, so I'll be there for a season at most before they kick me out 'cause I ain't getting enough interest in the crowds. I ain't gonna be the guy who nobody remembers, I'm fucking better than that."

"You are," Makarov agreed.

"I've worked too fucking hard for this," Laxus continued, pacing a little now. Makarov let him keep talking. "They'll make me a stupid grunting ogre who beats up a pretty boy, that's all. I'm fucking worth more than that."

"I know Laxus," Makarov said, a little more forcefully this time. "As I said, that isn't the only option we've got. We knew this was a possibility, didn't we, and I have got a possible solution."

Of course he did, Makarov may be a pain in the ass, but he did care about his wresters.

The old man ran Fairy Tail, which was only a small wrestling company at the time. They were relatively famous to the wrestling fans of Magnolia, and a few other places had heard of them, but they were nothing compared to the federations like S-Class. They were known for their rambunctious fights, loud characters, and addictively chaotic atmosphere. Even with their largest crowd being two hundred people, the shouts and cheers could rival those of some of their bigger competitors.

Makarov had always said that Fairy Tail was a stepping stone in a good wrestler's career. A place for them to hone their craft, refine their characters, and show off to potential recruiters. He knew that his best fighters were destined for better things and had always been supportive of that.

Laxus paced for a little while longer, this time to calm himself down. After he sat, his leg still bounced, and he played with his hands. He was making a conscious effort to push the stinging disappointment of being denied by S-Class to the back of his mind. Makarov was a smart man and good agent; his plan would be worth listening to if nothing else.

"They wanted you as a villain, because that's what they've seen of you so far," Makarov began.

"I guess," Laxus nodded.

"Well, they don't seem ready to move on that opinion, so that means we have around a year to change their mind for next season," Makarov opened his laptop and began typing. "They know you're a good fighter, and that you're entertaining, they just don't know who you are when you're not a villain. So, we spend the next year making you a hero."

"We both know it ain't that easy," Laxus sighed. "I've been the bad guy since I started."

Laxus' introduction to professional wrestling had been of his grandfather's request. He had done it as a hobby and a way to keep fit, but never cared for it more than that. Apparently Makarov had two promising young recruits – Natsu and Gajeel – who had started to attract attention from recruitment teams. The two had had a rivalry though their fights but was more friendly than it was antagonistic. Makarov saw this as an opportunity to show recruiters their versatility and had decided that them tag teaming someone would round out their characters as well as showing off the best of their potential.

That was where Laxus had been added; he was to be the man they tag teamed. Throughout the season, he had been introduced as an undefeatable foe. He had fought against many wrestlers in Fairy Tail, won each fight, and gloated to the booing crowd. His sneering attitude, coupled with the fact he should clearly be in a higher weight class than most of them, had made him someone easy for crowds to hate.

The final match of the season was Natsu against Laxus – the last stand between Laxus and championship. In a shock twist, Gajeel would support his rival, they would defeat Laxus, and become champions together.

It had been a good plan and seemed to have worked.

Laxus had originally planned to just be part of that season, but the rush of the crowds had awoken a desire he didn't know he had. He'd spoken to his grandfather about returning the next year – the old man had practically wept with excitement – and thus began his career.

"I don't plan to flip that on its head and expect people to buy it," Makarov assured him. "We need to follow a narrative trope. How does a villain become a hero? A redemption arc. And what's the best kind of redemption ark, one where the ex-villain is put through hell."

"So you wanna put me through hell?" Laxus asked, a little unsure.

"Exactly," Makarov smiled. "This is good, Laxus. Not only does it allow them to see you as a hero, it also gives you your backstory. We both know that performance and character is as much a part of wrestling as actual fighting. Not only does this give you a damn good backstory, it makes it real. This isn't some weird story some uncreative muscle head made up, this was something people saw happen with their own eyes. That's gold dust to recruiters."

"What do you have in mind?" Laxus asked after a moment.

Makarov turned around his laptop in reply, showing what Laxus recognised to be an employee file to someone Laxus had never seen. The guy's name was apparently Freed Justine. The picture showed a tall, well defined man with long green hair. He was wearing only a pair of black leggings, with a green spiral around his right leg. The spiral led to a snake, the head of which was painted onto the man's bare stomach. He was holding another man by the hair, looking down on him with a smirk that could only be described as sadistic.

"This is Freed Justine, or Albion," Makarov explained. "We just signed him from Blue Pegasus."

"Fuckin posers," Laxus muttered.

"Don't be disrespectful, brat," Makarov scolded. "As I said, Mr Justine here used to work for them. He didn't fit with their particular… niche-"

"Getting pretty people to 'fight' for bachelorette parties," Laxus said under his breath.

"So, we've been talking for a while and have come to the decision that he would be a good fit with us here," Makarov continued, ignoring his grandson's words. "I've seen a lot of his work during the signing process, and I believe that he's the perfect person to help with your redemption."

"He's gonna be the guy who shows me the way to the good side?" Laxus huffed a little.

"Quite the opposite," Makarov grinned. "I've spoken to him, and we've come up with a pretty concrete plan on how best to help you," He leant towards his phone and pressed a button on it. "Mirajane, could you bring Freed from the gym please."

In the few minutes it took for the unfamiliar man to arrive, Laxus decided that he should look over his file in more detail. It was pretty standard stuff; the basics of his heath, his age, his win/lose rate in his last place. They were a little above the average of a man his age, and Laxus couldn't deny that he was intrigued by the only two traits listed under selling points: strategy and entrapment. Seeing his grandson starting to take an interest in the man, Makarov loaded a video of him in action.

He was fighting against Blue Pegasus' more popular fighters: Hibiki. The fight was different to what Laxus had expected; not such a focus on flirtation and the fighter's bodies. Not once was either man conveniently pushed against the ropes closest to the crowd, highlighting his physique, nor were there any winks to the women watching. The fight, honestly, was quite intense.

How that would affect Laxus' chances of getting into S-Class, he didn't know.

Eventually the door opened, and Mirajane brought in Freed. He looked a little different now, wearing a typical workout gear of a black t-shirt and shorts. He was a little red form exercise and his hair was tied up in a high ponytail. He nodded to Laxus in greeting, and the blonde returned it.

"Freed, my boy," Makarov smiled, shaking Freed's hand. "As you've probably guessed, this is my grandson, Laxus."

"Good to meet you," The man greeted, and his voice was a little smoother than Laxus expected.

"You too," He replied.

"As I said, Freed and I have worked on a plan to redeem your character to the point where he becomes heroic," Makarov continued. "I think Freed is best to explain it."

"The bedrock of the idea is to reconstruct your relationship with the audience," Freed began, voice authoritative. "From what I've seen, you're popular. You're the type of character they love to hate. They want to see you win, so when they see you lose it's more satisfying. Essentially, we need swap those wants around. Rather than your wins making your losses that much sweeter, your losses should make your eventual win more satisfying."

"I guess," Laxus nodded. It made sense; and building up the need for satisfaction was a tried and tested way to bring in crowds.

"So, you need someone who keeps beating you. Continually, no matter how hard you try, you can't win," Freed continued. "At first the audience will enjoy it, because that bastard Lightning Dragon is getting what comes to him. But eventually it'll shift because the man they love to hate is losing his edge. This is made worse by the fact the person beating you is an arrogant, gloating dickhead."

"And you wanna be that person?" Laxus asked, hesitantly.

"Precisely," Freed nodded.

The admission made Laxus feel uneasy. Freed seemed perfectly content in playing the villain and beating someone with Laxus' reputation was a pretty good way to solidify that persona. This could easily be a way to boost his own reputation, rather than help with Laxus'.

"This'll do two things," Makarov picked up the conversation. "Not only is this a way you humble you, meaning we can drop a bit of the arrogance without it being too obvious, but it also shifts the audience to your side. They want your win; they start to crave it. The more you get beaten down, the more they cheer for you. You become the underdog."

"And at the height of my success, when I become the most intolerable to the audience and the desire to see you beat me to a pulp is literally all they can think about, we give them what they want," Freed finished. "You take back every bit of pride and dignity I had chipped away. You make the ring a blood bath; metaphorically speaking of course," He seemed to think. "Although, blood would help your case, so maybe aim for the nose."

"Well, we can't actually support that," Makarov said with a bit of hesitance.

"I suppose not," Freed nodded. "Well, be aware that if you do break my nose, I can get over it."

That brought a laugh out of Laxus. He didn't know why.

"We can't be sure of this," Makarov continued. "But we've been in talks with S-Class's network, and they're considering televising a fight of ours late in the season. If it goes through, and this idea is something you're interested in, then it seems clear to me that we'd televise the fight against Freed that you win. Not only will you finally beat the bully who's been battering you, but you do so on national TV. And with the crowds cheering you, it'll be pretty damn easy for the recruiters to see you as a hero."

"That's… that's actually a good idea," Laxus nodded a little.

He wasn't naïve, he knew when he auditioned for S-Class that it would be a long shot. Getting into the federation was hard, and basically demanding your role was something only a few idiots had the balls to do. But Laxus knew what he wanted and was willing to work for it.

The idea was well thought out. It would be an uphill battle, but the crowd would turn to his side if everything went according to plan. It would take time and being beaten time after time would be a bit of a hit to his ego, but he could deal with that for a year if it got him where he wanted to be. And, he had to admit, the idea of a crowd cheering his name on national television after a year of defeats sounded amazing.

"You made the last fight seem pretty fucking brutal," Laxus mused, looking to Freed. "You okay having that put on TV?"

"If you could deal with a year of continually losing to me, I can deal with a singular loss," Freed shrugged. "You're willing to do it?"

"I don't get why you'd want to," Laxus countered, frowning. "You made it seem like you'll be a pretty big dick to me; people get serious about this. Some people don't know the difference between hating a character and hating the guy who plays him. The more you win, the crazier people will get about it."

"I chose to be more of a villain, I can deal with them," Freed seemed impassive. "And I'll get more matches than most new recruits do in their first year, so it's mutually beneficial."

Laxus paused for a moment, thinking.

"Okay," He said with a nod. A small amount of excitement bubbled in his stomach. "It sounds good."

"Great," Makarov beamed. "From this point on, you'll be rivals. There's a bit of paperwork that comes with it, so if you'll excuse me I can start that up now."

Makarov stood up and walked from his office, leaving Laxus alone with his new rival. The more he thought about it, the larger the ball of excitement in his stomach got. He hadnt noticed it, but he'd gotten into a bit of a rut. He won about half of his fights, lost the other half. When he had won, he gloated, when he lost, he let the winner gloat before shrinking off. This would be a new challenge, and that was what he needed.

And as he thought back to the video of Freed he'd watched, he expected that fighting would be different than he was used to. Freed was the type to plan five moves ahead if his swift elegance was anything to go by. Laxus usually got put against people who relied on strength, so Freed might be a welcome breath of fresh air. This would be good.

"So," Laxus said, looking to Freed. "Guess we'll be seeing a lot of each other over the next year."

"I think we will," Freed smiled, offering Laxus a hand. "I look forward to repeatedly beating the living shit out of you for the next year."

"Yer funny," Laxus mocked, but was grinning as he took Freed's hand. "And I look forward to breaking your fuckin' nose."

* * *

_As the two men had recounted the tale of how they met, occasionally speaking over one another but mainly with Laxus taking the lead, it was clear to me just how much they loved each other. The small smiles and wistful expressions as they thought back to their first meeting was very telling. If it wasn't clear already, this was definite proof that these two men loved each other._

**_So you started off with a professional relationship then. Did it take long before you got closer?_ **

_Freed: To an extent, yes. It certainly took us some time to become a couple, but – despite what a lot of people think – we have always been friends._

_Laxus: A lot of people assumed we didn't like each other, because of how much our characters hated each other. But we saw each other in training most days for a year, so we got pretty close._

_Freed: Admittedly, we did have a rivalry. Though a lot more friendly than what people might have expected._

_Laxus: Yeah, we did stupid contests like how many pull ups we could do in five minutes. Not exactly beating the shit out of each other in an alleyway like people wanted._

_For those unaware, the rivalry between the two of them was shown to be so effective that many rumours began about a supposed aggressive nature between both Laxus and Freed behind the scenes. The rumours claimed multiple real fights occurred between them, as well as many verbal warnings. To quell the rumours, Makarov Dreyar, owner of Fairy Tail, was forced to make a statement. To read more about this, click here._

**_So if you were always friendly, is there a particular moment you can remember when there was a shift in the relationship, and you got closer?_ **

_Freed: Well, this wasn't when we started to date, but I remember thinking of you as more than just colleagues after I lost my agent._

* * *

Training with Laxus was an exhilarating thing.

Before joining Fairy Tail, Freed's training had been limited to what was seen as acceptable in Blue Pegasus. They were more focused on showmanship than the fight and, while they let their rules loosen a little for Freed, he was still forced into playing down his abilities. With a rival like Laxus, holding back was never an issue. And for the past few months of their rivalry, Freed had relished that fact.

Laxus was fast, powerful, and overwhelming. Even though Laxus couldn't win for his redemption to be effective, he still needed to put up a good fight. Their fights were never easy, and seeing the other man in his element, moving like the lightning his character was named after was an exhilarating experience.

He had respect for those he wrestled in Blue Pegasus, but Laxus was on another level.

But today, he couldn't focus on it. His mind was elsewhere, his actions lacked their usual edge, and his distracted thoughts were starting to interfere with his training. Working out he could do, but now that he was practicing move against Laxus for their upcoming fight, his distraction was becoming obvious.

"Shit," Laxus cussed, stepping back with a shocked expression.

It took Freed a few moments to understand why. He was meant to punch Laxus with his left hand, not his right. Laxus would have moved his head alongside the punch – not to dodge it, just to lessen the pain a little – but had seen Freed's mistake and ducked back before the fist could connect with his jaw.

"Fuck," Freed muttered. "Sorry."

"It's fine," Laxus assured him, walking to the side of the ring, and picking up his water bottle. "You wanna tell me what's wrong?"

"Nothing," Freed lied.

"Bullshit," Laxus leant against the ropes of the ring. "We've been doing this for three months now, you've not made a mistake like that yet."

"Then I'm overdue," Freed snarked under his breath, walking to his own bottle of water.

"Yeah, perhaps," Laxus agreed. "But when we were working out, you hardly said anything. Didn't even react when I tried starting a pissing contest about how much more I can lift than you. Which is a lot, by the way. Normally you'd be piling on the weights without blinking and Mirajane would have to stop us before we pulled a muscle. So, again, what crawled up your ass?"

Freed didn't respond, instead raising the bottle above his head to pour some water over himself; just because he was off his game today didn't meant he had put in any less effort, and the heat of his body reflected that. He leant against the ropes, looking out into the gym, not saying anything.

He and Laxus didn't have this kind of relationship. They were colleagues, got along well, but Freed was a private person. His life was his own.

After a few seconds of silence, the ropes he was leaning on sagged further, and Freed turned to see that Laxus was now standing beside him. He looked to the blonde for a few seconds, who was looking down at him with an expectant expression. Freed wasn't going to speak first, partly out of a desire for privacy and partly out of stubbornness.

"This is where most people would say you don't have to say anything if you don't want to," Laxus spoke again. "But since you not speaking nearly lost me a tooth, I ain't giving you that option."

"My agent quit," Freed said, voice a little harsh. "I need a new one, that's all. It's fine."

"You ain't as enigmatic as you probably think you are," Laxus chuckled. "So unless you wanna tell me the whole reason, I ain't gonna train with ya."

"That's blackmail," Freed grunted, a small glare on his face.

"Yeah, it is. And self-preservation," Laxus shrugged. "People lose agents all the time, it happens. You don't get this pissy about it. And you don't get that distracted. Fighting is the distraction."

Freed looked out on the gym again. Their next fight was in a week, they needed as much training as they could get if they wanted to make a good show. And Laxus was his partner in the ring, meaning they were going to see a hell of a lot of each other, no matter if they got along. It was best not to make their relationship antagonistic. Besides, Freed didn't enjoy being indebted to people, and Laxus had every right to demand a favour from him after he'd nearly punched him in the face. Better this than something unreasonable.

He let out a small sigh and turned to Laxus. He half expected to see an expression of smugness on the blonde, but the only difference of expression was the small quirk in his eyebrow. Freed wondered if Laxus realised he was doing it.

"The reason he quit was because he was paid out," Freed admitted.

"Someone paid him to ditch you?" Laxus frowned. "Who'd you piss off enough to get them to do that."

"My father," Freed said, plainly. "It's not the first time he's done it, either. He's not happy that I've chosen this as a career and thinks that if he stops people from representing me then I'll give up. When I called him and asked him what he was thinking, he claimed that he didn't put me through university to have me make a spectacle out of myself."

"Well," Laxus hesitated. "I mean, what he did is pretty shitty, but if he paid for your school you can understand it."

"You've heard of Ruinc, haven't you?"

"One of the biggest computer companies in the world. No, never," Laxus deadpanned.

"My father owns it. He could have paid for everyone in the Magnolian school system to go to university and it wouldn't have touched most of his money," Freed sighed as he spoke. "He expects me to go into business in some capacity, he hardly wanted this…"

"You mean a multi-millionaire businessman doesn't want his son parading around in spandex leggings, fighting guys for money," Laxus chuckled, and Freed smiled a little. "Shocking."

"I thought he would be so proud," Freed laughed.

"You realise that Makarov is gonna become your agent the second he hears about this, right?" Laxus stated. "You were like the only person he does't represent who fights here, surprised he didn't try to get you yet. And he's not the type to get scared of someone with a big bank account, we used to have a fighter here who's dad tried to sue him. Gramps went to court because she didn't wanna leave. Denying a check is a lot easier than that."

Freed had thought the same of his previous agent, but apparently whatever his father had offered him had changed his values. When it came to getting what he wanted, no money was too much for him. Ironic, given how he tried to guilt Freed to his side by bringing up the money he'd spent on him.

As he looked over the gym, Freed couldn't help but feel demoralised. This was as close as he had gotten to his desire to go professional in wrestling, and the past few months had been faultless. He had a partner who challenged him, and he got along with, a facility that was perfect for his desires, and had even started getting the crowd to hate him in the best way possible. His father's influence had not touched the place, until now.

"Come on," Laxus said, clapping Freed on the back before leaving the ring.

"Excuse me?" Freed frowned; were they done training as Laxus had threatened.

"I ain't good with words and comforting people," Laxus shrugged. "But I know from experience that pretending a punching bag is your dad and beating the shit out of it is a good way to get your mind off how much of a dick he is. So you'll do that for a while, and when you're back with me fully we start fighting again."

It was tempting enough that Freed didn't argue. He walked to the nearest punching bag, wrapped athletic tape around his hands rather than putting on gloves, and began slamming his clenched fists into the hanging bag.

He'd never relieved stress like this before. It was effective.

Though not a boxer, he knew how to throw a punch. They were fast and powerful, and more than once Laxus had to adjust his position slightly so that he could keep holding the punching bag steady. He wasn't aware of how long he punched the bag for, forcing all the anger and annoyance and resentment he was feeling into his energy, and then expelling it with his actions. It was a blur of movements, which eventually came to an end.

Once he found himself exhausted, he leant his head against the punching bag and began to regain his breath. He felt Laxus' hand clasp on his shoulder again.

"So," Laxus spoke. "I've been fighting a millionaire for the last few months then?"

"I suppose you have," Freed agreed.

"Can I just say, and this is completely unrelated, you're definitely the best fighter I've ever seen," Laxus spoke with a grin that could only be described as shit-eating.

"Am I?" Freed chuckled.

"Yeah," Laxus nodded. "Again, unrelated, but it's my birthday next month and I've always wanted a sports car," His grin widened, and it was clear he was joking. "Y'know, in case you really wanna piss of your dad."

"I'll keep it in mind," Freed smiled.

"How did ya even get into wrestling anyway?" Laxus asked. "If he doesn't want you doing it, I doubt he would have wanted you to watch it either."

"I've a friend, Bickslow, who is something of a superfan," Freed shrugged a little, standing upright again. "He managed to drag me to a fight – I was hesitant to go, I'm afraid to say – but when I got there it was addictive. The atmosphere, the people, the intensity. It was all in contrast with how my life had always been, and I just wanted to see more. I went to more fights, found a trainer and hired him without my father's knowledge, and now I'm here."

"Fair," Laxus nodded. But then he frowned. "I asked you that once before, you said you didn't wanna get into it. If that's it, why didn't you wanna tell me?"

"You know, for someone who claims to be bad with people, you're annoyingly astute," Freed grunted, Laxus crossed his arms. "If you must know, the fight I went to wasn't from S-Class. It was here."

Laxus frowned, and Freed had the misfortune of watching him put two and two together. The grin on the blonde's face was so smug, it was clear he knew what Freed hadn't said.

"You saw me fight," He said. "You saw me fight, and it inspired you to get into it."

"I did," Freed admitted. "I saw someone so smug that I had a primal urge to knock him out."

"Holy shit," Laxus laughed, unperturbed. "If you thought I was being smug then, this is gonna be fucking hell for you," He wrapped an arm around Freed's shoulder as they walked. "So basically, the person you are right now is all thanks to me. You could say I'm your hero, the one person you look up to more than anyone else."

"You're intolerable," Freed snapped, but had a small smirk on his face.

"Yep," Laxus agreed, before his grin turned into a smile. "I am sorry, about what your dad did. You're a good fighter, and even if he doesn't understand it, a lot of people do. Those are your people, and they'll be the ones getting you to where you deserve to be."

"Thank you, Laxus," Freed nodded a little.

"And when you hit the big time, I'll make sure everyone knows it's because of me," Laxus was smirking again. "So, what about my kickass performance that night really left you speechless?"

"I enjoyed it when you got hurt," Freed smirked back. "It's the real reason I want to be your villain. Not only do I get to see you curled up on the floor, but I get to be the one to do it."

"Big talk from a guy who couldn't land a punch earlier," Laxus taunted, holding apart the ropes for them to climb into the ring again.

"If I wanted to hit you, I would have."

"Care to prove it?"

"With pleasure."

When they started to fight again, Freed found himself back in the rhythm, and had a smile on his face as he did so.

* * *

_Again, it's clear to see that these two men mean a great deal to each other. It's hard not to compare them to their characters, who had such a strong hatred for each other, as these two men who share small smiles and split seconds looks of adorations seem so far apart from their alter-egos. It's also hard to see how we didn't notice their relationship before._

**_So it took some time for you to start dating then?_ **

_Laxus: Yeah, quite a while. I always felt more comfortable around him than most of the other guys, but I put it down to spending more time with him._

_Freed: I think we were also aware that we couldn't mess up our first season together. Laxus needed to focus on his redemption and I needed to make a name for myself in Fairy Tail, so relationships were at the back of our minds._

_Laxus: There were a couple moments, where we maybe could have started if we wanted to. But, like Freed said, it didn't enter our minds that it was a possibility. So when we'd catch each other's eye, or maybe share a laugh, we didn't think of it in a romantic way. Thinking back, we were probably pretty oblivious to what was actually happening between us._

**_So I have to ask, when was the big moment where you did get together?_ **

_Freed: We started dating just before you began fighting at S-Class, wasn't it?_

_Laxus: Yeah, we actually kissed for the first time when Gramps was throwing a going away party._

* * *

"So, could you all join me in toasting Laxus' success," Makarov raised his glass.

Fairy Tail's performance ring was filled with all of its fighters, the spectator's seats pushed to the side to make space for the mass of people. Laxus joined his grandfather, standing on the raised platform of the fighting ring. They were all here for him, celebrating his recent admission to the S-Class federation of wrestling.

To say that his character's redemption arc had worked was an understatement. Everything had gone as well as it could have been. For most of the season, Laxus had faced a series of losses to Freed, which had shifted the audience's allegiances. Then, in the final fight of the season – the only televised fight from the company – Laxus had finally won against Freed; and viciously so. Even knowing it would happen from the start of the year, it was cathartic to finally have a victory against him. The crowd seemed to agree.

After the fight, Laxus had been approached by a representative of S-Class; Gildarts Clive. Apparently the progress his character had made was impressive, and they were willing to reconsider his application. After that, he'd gone through a fast-tracked audition process, and had been accepted as a new fighter.

"To new S-Class fighter: The Lightning Dragon," Makarov continued, his glass in the air.

Everyone in the room did the same, a cheer ringing through Laxus' ears. The feeling was sensational, to have his friends and family here for him, celebrating him achieving a goal he had worked so hard for. Years of his life had been leading up to this moment, and to have it finally happen was incredible. Laxus couldn't quell the giddy feeling that infested his stomach¸ even if he had managed to hide it well enough.

"Now, enough of me talking," Makarov finished. "Enjoy the party, and make sure to make it memorable for the big guy," He nodded to Laxus. "We need to leave an impression on this bastard. Whether it's a good one or bad one is up to you."

A laugh came from the crowd, followed by the return of music being played through the gyms speaker system. The party had begun.

It was a good party, even if Laxus had to interact with more people in the few hours he was there than he would have liked to speak to within the span of a week. But at least they were all wrestlers or fans, meaning Laxus had something to turn the conversation to if he found himself struggling. He didn't often need to use that, though, as most people were too busy congratulating him on his promotion. These were the kinds of conversations that Laxus could deal with.

As the night went on, Laxus felt a slight shift in his mood. Not too bad, just reminiscent. He'd been working at this gym for years, and even as a kid he'd been around watching the athletes of the time and occasionally joining in with trainees. It was essentially his second home. It was weird that he wasn't going to be there almost every day.

Laxus was glad Makarov refused to serve alcohol to keep his athletes fit. He would be a lot mopeyer if he was drunk.

His mood wasn't exactly melancholy, more nostalgic. He knew what he was going to do would be great, but it was a change. A change that a small part of him didn't think would ever actually happen. He never had told Makarov, but he had contented himself by deciding that, if his career never took off, he'd take over Fairy Tail when Makarov retired.

And now he was leaving it. It was a weird feeling.

Eventually, Laxus decided he needed some time to himself. He found himself wandering through the halls of the building, eventually going into Fairy Tail's main gym. The silence of the gym was comforting; he was grateful that everyone was celebrating him, but they were very loud.

As he strolled aimlessly, he gave a gentle punch to the punching bag hanging as he walked past it. His fingers grazed against the rough fabric of the ropes bordering the ring, a small laugh slipping through his lips as he thought back to all the times he had been pushed against them. Quite a lot of those times had been over the past year, when he was practicing with Freed. The other man had been pretty intense about training, something Laxus enjoyed.

Walking further into the building, he found himself in the locker rooms, sitting on the bench. He pressed his back against the cool metal of the lockers, leaning against them and closing his eyes. This might be the last time he was there.

He sighed; maybe he wasn't ready.

"You know, traditionally, if you have a party held in your honour you're meant to actually be there."

Laxus looked up, to see Freed walking into the locker room. He walked towards Laxus without saying anything else, sitting beside him. His presence was calming, an affect that had been helpful throughout the year he'd trained with him; some days things got on top of him, it was good to have someone there to help him.

"Just wanted to look around one last time," Laxus explained. "Get it memorised, y'know."

"You've chosen the perfect room for that. I don't know what's more impressive, the fact that these benches still somehow have splinters or the lingering smell of jockstraps. Don't forget to visit the real highlight and look into the bowl of an unflushed toilet" Freed chuckled, before turning to look to Laxus. "What's actually wrong?"

"I'm scared," Laxus admitted, voice quiet and wavering the tiniest amount.

"Of what?"

"Fucking this up," Laxus sighed, leaning back against the lockers again. "I should be excited; I know I should. But I think about going to S-Class and it's just… What if I'm only good here, y'know. I know how everything works here, I'm comfortable here, this is my place. I mean I've never fought in front of more than two hundred people; those stadiums have thousands. I just keep imagining that on my first night, I'll freeze up and fuck up."

"Our last fight had just shy of half a million viewers, and your performance was excellent," Freed assured him.

"It ain't the same."

"Of course it is," Freed retorted. "How many of those thousands of people will be close enough to the ring will be able to actually see you. Less than a hundred; the others will only be looking at you through a screen. And once you've started, the crowd will fall away, just like always."

"Maybe," Laxus admitted, though didn't really believe him.

"And as for feeling like you're not prepared for the next level, you're describing the exact feeling everyone who has ever had a promotion has ever felt," Freed patted his thigh firmly. "You are a fucking excellent fighter, Laxus. Once you begin, you will dominate that league. Don't let nerves stop you from doing that."

"I like it here," Laxus whispered. "I'm not sure I'll like it in S-Class."

"You will. I won't deny, it might take time to adjust, but you'll get there," Freed assured him. "Unless of course you hate the idea of using state of the art equipment, rubbing shoulders with the best our sport has to offer, and then having a shower in actual warm water," Freed grinned.

"Cold water ain't done us any harm yet," Laxus laughed.

"If you believe that then you won't have any misgivings about me filling bucket after bucket of the aforementioned cold water and dumping it over your head until you admit you're lying," Freed smirked, and Laxus laughed again.

"I think that's called torture."

"Correct," Freed nodded. "You're allowed to be scared, Laxus. You're allowed to feel shit, and worried, and terrified. It's natural. But if you think for a second I, or anyone in the gym, will allow that fear to fuck you over, then you are incredibly incorrect."

It was good to hear someone else say it. Maybe that was what he had needed; an objective voice telling him that he was allowed to feel like he was, but he shouldn't let those feelings ruin what he had worked towards. Or maybe he needed to hear it from Freed in particular; they had become each other's confidant throughout the year and Freed had yet to lead him down a wrong path. Freed had become a pretty big part of Laxus' life over the year that they'd known each other, he should probably have told him that.

But he was never good at saying what he meant.

"You cuss a lot more than you used to," He eventually said.

"Do I?" Freed laughed. "I suppose you're a bad influence on me."

"That's something I can be proud of at least," Laxus laughed. "Have you spoken to Gramps about what you're gonna do next year, since you basically only fought with me and you can't do that anymore."

"We've had a few conversations," Freed nodded as he spoke. "Obviously, I need to have a more balanced win/lose ratio, so that'll probably happen. Apparently I'll be a relatively large part of the harvest season's run, which is going to be interesting. Keep it to yourself, but Mirajane said she's considering coming out of retirement, and thinks fighting me might be a good start to that."

Laxus raised an eyebrow. Mirajane had once been an S-Class fighter herself, coming from a family of wrestlers. Her sister had once been the victim to a bad mistake, spent nearly a year in a coma, and Mirajane hadn't fought since.

"That's a big deal," He commented.

"I'm looking forward to it," Freed smiled. "And it seems a good way to introduce the new facet of my character, which will be interesting."

Laxus grinned a little at that. Freed had, a few months ago, confessed that he felt his character was missing something. They had spoken to each other about it a few times, tossed around some ideas, and come up with Absolute Shadow. On certain fights, the Albion persona would be replaced by Absolute Shadow, which came with a new costume that was more demonic looking, and a shift in fighting style. Freed often relied on trapping people in a corner and tricking them, Absolute Shadow would be more physical, making the most of Freed's strength.

"Demon against a demon, huh?" Laxus grinned. "I'll have to come by and watch it."

"I look forward to it," Freed smiled.

For a moment, the two of them sat there in silence. Laxus felt more contented than he did scared now, but he still wasn't ready to go back into the main hall. Sitting here with Freed was a lot better than being congratulated by people he barely knew.

He hadnt voiced it, but he was also going to miss seeing Freed almost every day. Laxus had never had a true rival, never had someone he saw as often as he saw Freed, and the two of them had gotten close over the year. In all honesty, he had become one of Laxus' closest friends. He'd never been good at maintain a relationship, and with Freed working with him, that pressure had been lessened. He didn't need to reach out because they would see each other anyway.

He wasn't ready to lose that yet.

When Freed stood up to return to the party, the worry of not seeing Freed erupted throughout him. But it wasn't worry, it was fear. The idea of losing what he had with Freed actually scared him, in a way that was unfamiliar to Laxus. It sent nausea throughout him. It felt as though the moment he left the locker room, he was leaving Laxus.

Again unable to voice his true thoughts, he said the firsts thing he thought of.

"I'm sorry about your nose," He blurted, and Freed turned to him with an amused smile on his face.

He hated himself the moment he said it. He was trying to keep Freed in his life and decided the best way to do that would be to remind him Laxus had made his nose crooked. Every time he brought it up, Freed assured him it was barely visible to anyone but Laxus, and that he shouldn't fixate on it, but Laxus still felt guilty. Why he decided to remind Freed of the fact was beyond Laxus.

"The first day we met I invited you to break it," He shrugged, voice light. "As I see it, I got off easy."

"I should have been more careful."

"We're both athletes in a combat sport, I know the risks as well as you do," Freed said, stepping towards Laxus. "Very soon, you're going to be famous for beating down any opponent that comes in your way and having a slightly crooked nose will be my badge of honour for holding up so well against you."

"You're ridiculous," Laxus laughed.

"And I've heard that a man with a battle wound is rather attractive," Freed continued, grinning. "Mostly that refers to a scar, but I can work with this."

 _You looked just as good without it_. It was the first thing that came to Laxus' head. They were the kind of thoughts that Laxus had been putting to the back of his mind, trying not to fixate on them because he had much larger things to focus on. And fucking up his friendship with Freed was the last thing he wanted to do. But ever since the season had ended, those thoughts had been harder to push back.

It was hard to deny that, out of all the people he knew, Freed was probably his best match.

And he wanted to tell Freed that. Wanted to explain these feelings so unfamiliar to him, but the words would never come to him. Freed was a man of eloquence; he always had the right words for any situation. If someone needed comfort, Freed could do it, but he could equally send off quips and snarky comments that would derail anyone. Laxus was the opposite of that.

But he was pretty good with actions.

A thrilling rush spread from his stomach to his entire body, and the possibility of what he wanted dawned on him. He could do this now; Freed was inches away form him. There was nothing stopping him but his own hesitance; but he could push past it. He wanted to push past it, and he fucking would.

He took a step forward, grabbed the back of Freed's neck without elegance, and pushed their lips together.

Freed was kissing back without a second of hesitance, and it was electric. They weren't used to each other, but it was a damn good kiss. To feel Freed against him, the man's smooth lips against his chapped ones, the other mans hand resting on his thigh for balance was so much better than he could have guessed. So much better than the kisses he'd shared with strangers after a night of drinking.

It felt weighty and powerful and Laxus finally understood what was meant when someone claimed to feel fireworks from a kiss.

When they pulled apart, they were both a little breathless, panting as they rested their foreheads together. Laxus couldn't speak; if he was bad with words before, he was practically mute now. The reality of what he'd just done hit him, as did the realisation that Freed had kissed him back. Before he could truly start to digest that, Freed spoke.

"Ironically, when you pulled me close, my nose hit your face and it hurts a little now," He joked, and Laxus laughed.

"Fuck," He chuckled. "Sorry."

"You made up for it," Freed chuckled, before closing his eyes. "I didn't know you…"

"Neither did I," Laxus admitted. "But I'm pretty sure I know I wanna kiss you again."

"I think I can deal with that," Freed smiled as well. "Maybe once we're done here, would you like to get some coffee?"

"I'm good with coffee," Laxus smiled back. "We should probably get back in there though. Like you said, the party's for me."

"I suppose we should," Freed agreed.

Before they could pull apart, Freed cupped Laxus' jaw and brought their lips together, kissing him again with as much passion as Laxus had kissed him. It somehow felt even better, sending lighting throughout the blonde, and making him feel so damn alive it was incredible. When they pulled apart, Freed's smirk told Laxus that was the intended reaction.

"Like your grandfather said," Freed grinned. "I need to give you something to remember me by."

Laxus couldn't help but grin.

* * *

**_So you actually got together quite a long time ago, then?_ **

_Freed: We did. We managed to keep our relationship private for quite a while, which I think was important. We can both be private people and I imagine if people knew from the start, we might have had a larger amount of strain._

_Laxus: Our families and friends knew before the public, though. It wasn't like it was a big secret, we just didn't think the public needed to know._

**_You tried to have a relatively normal relationship then, despite your celebrity status?_ **

_Laxus: Yeah, I think we did. We went on vacations together, moved in together, went on dates._

_Freed: I think it helped that we were financially stable enough to go to the kind of places where people wouldn't be looking at us. But it was definitely a conscious choice to try and keep our dating life private until we were completely comfortable with it._

**_Of course the public did find out. And it started something of a controversy, didn't it?_ **

_Freed: People tried to make it a controversy. Just an annoyingly vocal minority actually had a problem with us dating._

**_The exhibition match was already quite a big deal for you, Freed. Had you discussed about coming out beforehand, or was it a spur of the moment thing?_ **

_Freed: A mixture of both. I'd always been open about my sexuality, and I'd told the press I was dating someone, so it wasn't as if I was coming out._

_Laxus: It took me a little while to come to terms with everything. Freed's the only guy I've been with, only real relationship actually, so I was a little hesitant to let anyone know. And I've never been great with the publicity side of this, so I didn't know how I was actually gonna come out. So it just sort of… spilled out._

**_It was a pretty big night for both of you. Can you explain how you were both feeling?_ **

_Freed: Well, as you said, it was an important night beforehand, so I was a little nervous._

* * *

"Hey, you mind if I come in?"

Freed looked up form his lap to see Laxus standing at the door, his form covered by a large fur lined coat. He had a soft expression on his face, and Freed couldn't help but return it as he beckoned his boyfriend in.

It was a big night for Freed, perhaps the biggest in his life. Freed had been promoted to S-Class just two years after his boyfriend, being billed as one of the newest villains for the season. The federation was holding a charity event where many large fights were going to take place, and it had been decided that Freed's debut fight as an S-Class wrestler would be part of this event. Freed thought that he was keeping himself together pretty well, but he couldn't deny the rush of nerves he felt when the crowd's cheers met his ears.

"Are you allowed to be here?" He asked as Laxus walked in. "I would have thought they'd try to keep us apart."

"It's why I didn't tell anyone I was coming."

S-Class had decided that, despite being in different weight classifications, Freed's first opponent would be Laxus. The fact that their characters had history was interesting, and an old rivalry always brought forth a loud and intense audiences. And putting the current golden boy against the newest villain was always going to pull in a crowd.

That decision had been fine by Freed; they hadn't fought one another since Laxus had been part of Fairy Tail. Freed had a lot of respect to the people he had fought with since, and they were all good fighters, but he hadnt found the same type of chemistry with them as he had with Laxus. And having his first fight with someone he was comfortable with was definitely a good way to start his career as an S-Class fighter.

Laxus leant down and pressed his lips against Freed's, joining him on the sofa and deepening the kiss a little. He moved his hand to his chest but stopped short as he realised that Freed was in costume and he shouldn't mess it up.

Dark Shadow's costume was a pair of black scale-patterned leggings, with similar scales painted onto Freed's torso. They trailed up and covered half of his face. The look was finalised by a contact lens that made his eye entirely purple, and almost demonic looking. In contrast, The Lightning Dragon's costume was laughably simplistic. It was essentially a yellow leather speedo with a lightning pattern, accompanied by a large coat that he dropped before entering the ring.

"Better not go further," Laxus laughed. "Evergreen'll kill me if she needs to paint you again."

"Something we both know by experience," Freed shook his head a little.

"It was your last fight before leaving Fairy Tail," Laxus shrugged, not a suggestion of guilt in his grin. "I needed to make sure you were completely relaxed before you started."

"Most people would have brought me a cup of tea, not pushed me up against a wall," Freed chuckled. "And as bad as her yelling at you might have been, you didn't have to sit there for an hour with her judging you when she reapplied everything."

"I made it up to you," Laxus smirked. "How're you feeling?"

"Good, I think. As good as to be expected," Freed nodded to himself to reaffirm his words. "I'm quite looking forward to smack-talking you and seeing you stumble around a reply."

"Course you are," Laxus grinned, but it turned into a genuine smile. "You sure you're okay? I remember my first time and I nearly vomited on myself. No shame in admitting that you're scared about it."

"I know," Freed agreed. "I think it helps that I'm fighting you."

"Well, I'd offer to go easy on ya, but I think you'd kill me for suggesting it," Laxus chuckled. "So instead, I promise to give you a damn good fight before I kick yer ass."

"You can certainly try, but I've become rather an expert at getting you on your knees, haven't I?"

"Smug fucker," Laxus laughed with a shake of his head. "It won't be long before people realise I'm missing, probably, so I should get back," He leant down and pressed his lips against Freed's in a chaste kiss. "See you in the ring, Absolute Shadow."

"I'm looking forward to it, Lightning Dragon."

Laxus slunk out of the changing room a moment later, leaving Freed alone again. He walked to the large window overlooking the ring, where two people he couldn't quite make out were fighting. There were thousand of people watching, cheering the two men on, and Freed felt a mixture of nervousness and excitement at the prospect of being in front of them. He'd not fought in front of this many people before and knew he would love it. He just needed to get there first.

Soon, an assistant knocked on the door and requested that he come to the tunnel in preparation. Freed almost laughed at the nervousness the assistant showed, clearly expecting Freed to be as obnoxious as he portrayed himself to be.

When they arrived at the tunnel, the fight already taking place had just ended. The two fighters walked past them, and Freed could hear the announcer informing the crowd that the next fight would be starting soon, and a loud cheer ran through the stadium. Laxus had become damn popular since becoming part of S-Class, and to have a fight against his old rival was clearly something that people wanted.

"So here he comes. The electrifying brute who scorches his opponents. The god of us all, The Lightning Dragon!" The announcer yelled into the microphone.

Loud music began playing, a rock tune that Laxus had chosen to be his theme. The blonde walked form the other side of the tunnel and, a moment before he could be seen by the cameras, he sent a wink and a smirk at Freed. Freed shook his head with a little grin.

Once he was in sight of the crowd and cameras, he was in character, raising his right arm and bringing the crowd's cheers with him. From the screen, Freed could watch as Laxus walked to the ring, climbed onto the roped and looked across the crowd. He wordlessly removed his coat and threw it to the ground as he always did, and another round of cheers began up again. Freed could only watch as Laxus pulled the microphone out of the announcer's hand and began his short speech about the fight.

"A lot of you might know that me and the motherfucker I'm fighting have a bit of history together," He yelled. "And I've heard a lot of you people doubting me. Sayin' I might be off my game or some bullshit. I can be damn sure that that ain't happening. But you don't need to get your nuts in a twist either way, 'cause I could break that fucker in half with a hand tied behind my back, and all of us fucking know it."

He then let out a monstrous roar into the microphone, and Freed couldn't help but grin. How he was still allowed to end his hype building with that was beyond him.

The roar was more cute than anything else. Though Freed was biased.

"Well here's your time to prove it," The announcer continued. "Because here he comes. The snake hidden in the deepest grass. The monster lurking under your bed. The demon who haunts your nightmares and makes you scream. Absolute Shadow!"

After getting a nod, Freed walked on. He held himself high, chin jutted forward as he walked out of the tunnel. A chorus of boos and jeers met his ears, and his smirk widened; it was nice to know that his reputation proceeded him. He took his time getting to the ring, if they were going to boo him then he was going to make them wait. Just before he entered the ring, he turned to the crowd and gave an overly extravagant bow, as befitting his character. The boos he got for that were damn spectacular.

"The little dragon's gotten out of it's cage again, it seems," Freed began after taking the microphone. "I'm sure you've all had fun watching him terrorise the little ants that you're used to watching, but that ends tonight. Because it's time to bring this muscle-bound idiot to heel. And very soon, he'll be quivering before me and begging for mercy again, just as he should be."

Laxus lurched forward as if to attack him, and Freed jutted out his chin as an invitation for him to take a hit, spreading his arms a little. The ref got in between them before anything could happen, of course, but it got the crowd going.

It was then that Freed actually looked at Laxus' face.

Nobody else would have noticed – both men were well trained in keeping their personas up no matter what – but something was bothering Laxus. Upsetting him, slightly. Although facing each other, Laxus was actually looking past Freed and into the crowd, and it took Freed a moment to understand why. The chanting and booing were pretty conventional, but behind Freed there was a group that had decided that they would focus on one certain part of Freed to hate.

The fact he was gay.

They shouted slurs, demanded Laxus fuck him up and show him how a 'real man' fights, and other such pointless stereotypes. It didn't bother Freed that much; the moment he had been appointed as S-Class's first openly gay fighter he knew people would act like this. It wasn't great, but he could get past it. Although the hypocrisy did bother him, given that people disliked him because he was gay despite wrestling being perhaps the most homoerotic sport in existence.

Laxus however, seemed pretty damn affected by it. Freed realised that Laxus probably hadnt had to deal with homophobia before in his life, not first hand, and it was clearly difficult to have a crowd of men cheering against such a large part of who he was. Just as Freed went to tell the ref to start the fight quickly so Laxus could be distracted, the blonde stole the microphone again.

"Hey fuckers," He yelled, looking directly at the group of men. Most of the crowd went quiet "The hell's your problem?"

"He's fucking queer," One of them yelled back.

"Out of everything you can yell, that's what you're going after? What he does with his dick," Laxus glared, clearly trying to keep in character. "You got the gimp leggings, or the stupid fucking hair," Despite the situation, Freed promised himself he would punch Laxus for that. "Try using your brain and get creative, dickhead."

Freed leant against the roped and smirked, trying to show he was still in character. He wanted to go to Laxus, however.

This wasn't Laxus defending Freed's honour, it was him standing up for himself. Laxus' sexuality was something he had never been sure about, and it had gotten to the point where he decided it didn't matter. He liked men, and he was dating one. And to have someone be so openly aggressive about Freed being the same was probably something new to him. This was clearly something Laxus needed to get off his chest, and to do so on his own.

"Surprised you can stand to be in there with the fag," The man from the crowd yelled, and Freed saw Laxus tense just a little.

"You wanna fuckin' take my place, huh big-balls?" Laxus challenged, walking out of the ropes. "Come down here then. Try beating the guy up yourself? Prove how much of a man you are?"

"Why the hell you defending the queer?" The man asked, and Freed saw that he was just a little bit shaken now. "You his boyfriend or something?" He taunted, and his group of idiots laughed.

"Fuck yeah I am," Laxus shouted back.

Freed's eyes shot back to Laxus, a little wide as he tried to keep himself in character. Laxus coming out and revealing their relationship had been something they'd discusses recently. Freed had never hidden his sexuality and had no shame in admitting he was dating Laxus. He had claimed that, whenever Laxus was ready to do it, and however Laxus wanted to reveal it, he would be supportive. He hadnt' imagined this would be the way, but the flood of pride sent through him was incredible, and Freed found a smile fighting its way onto his lips.

Laxus climbed into the ring, stalked over to Freed. He grabbed him by the back of his head and pulled him into a kiss, pushing their bodies together in a way similar to their first kiss in Fairy Tail's locker room.

As they kissed, there was silence. Until someone broke it.

"Hell yeah, Baby!" A voice screamed. Bickslow's voice.

"Finally," Shouted a voice belonging to Evergreen, followed by a cheer.

More people started to cheer, then more. Soon enough, by the time the two men had pulled apart from their kiss, the majority of the stadium was cheering. Freed looked towards the group who had been the instigators, and they all looked either angry or white with fear. The ringleader seemed to have had a pretty large cup of soda tossed at him as well, if his drenched shirt was anything to go by. Freed had to smirk at that.

"Two years and three months, we've been together," Laxus yelled into the microphone. "That's about the same amount of time you've been cheering for me, huh?"

The man in the crowd went red.

"So if any of you fuckers have a problem about this," Laxus continued, wrapping an arm around Freed's shoulders. "You've got two options. You can either get escorted out by security. Or you can come down here, pick one of us to fight, and show everyone how big of a man you really are."

Another cheer went through the crowd as the group of men started to push their way to the stairs to leave.

"Hey fucker, where d'you think you're going?" Laxus demanded. "I was looking forward to seeing the boyfriend beat you to a fucking pulp."

"I was rather hoping we could tag team him," Freed smirked, speaking into the microphone. "Make an example of him while showing him just what a couple of 'queers' can do when you piss them off."

The man from the crowd, after reaching the stairs, began to storm down them as if accepting their challenge. Both Freed and Laxus laughed – both at the idea that he would be able to get to them, and the fact he had deluded himself into thinking he had a chance at beating either of them. A security guard managed to get to him before he had gotten even half way down the stairs, and was dragging him towards the doors while his minions followed him, downtrodden and shamefaced. It was pretty satisfying to see him squirming as he was dragged away.

"You okay?" Freed asked under his breath, taking the opportunity to speak quietly to Laxus while the crowd was distracted.

"Yeah, I think so," Laxus nodded. "You?"

"Fine. People like that exist," Freed shrugged. "Most of the time you don't get to call them out and publicly humiliate them, so this was actually pretty good an outcome."

"Yeah, I'm sort of fired up," Laxus grinned. "God, I sound like the fucking salamander."

"Well, if we're both on a high right now, we might as well use it to give the people a good show," Freed said with a cocky smirk. "You ready to get beat up, Dragon."

"Ready to beat _you_ up," Laxus corrected. "Ready when you are, Demon."

Laxus grinned. They bumped their firsts together, walked to their designated corners, and prepared to fight.

* * *

_It was pretty intense to watch the two of them recount this story. This is something that neither man has spoken publicly about since the incident happened, other than just repeating what S-Class had wanted them to say. To see the emotions flicker across their face is fascinating, a mixture of anger and pride and satisfaction._

_And again, it's impossible to deny how much these men mean to each other. Both the support they show for each other, and the fact that they could so quickly get professional is a testament to how close they are._

**_So, it's fair to say that this was perhaps the most controversial part of your careers?_ **

_Laxus: I guess it is. Freed being an openly gay wrestler was big enough news. So having us making out in the ring and throwing out some dickhead was also pretty big news. A lot of people didn't like it, put out some bullshit crap about it not being family friendly._

_Freed: Because, of course, nearly naked people beating each other up to an extreme extent is completely fine. But two men dating is completely unacceptable._

**_Did you have any fallout from what happened from within S-Class?_ **

_Laxus: A bit, I guess. Mainly about the fact we invited people to fight us, though, not about the kiss. Apparently we got some of the most rerun viewing figures because people wanted to see it all happen._

_Freed: And I think S-Class wanted to appeal to a wider range of people. Having a headline wrestler come out is good publicity. So as long as we didn't threaten to attack members of the audience again, they couldn't complain about our behaviour._

**_So your eventual departure from S-Class had nothing to do with any drama behind the scenes?_ **

_Laxus: No, S-Class was always good for us. We just wanted to take things in a different direction._

_Freed: We both have a lot of loyalty to Fairy Tail, and it was going through a tough time financially. It was a few years after I had joined and we decided that we had done all we wanted to do within S-Class, and we saw an opportunity to help out with our old guild._

**_And you decided to become co-owners because of that?_ **

_Laxus: Gramps had been good to pretty much everyone who had come into the gym and made a hell of a lot of careers in the business. We were both successful and wanted to pay him back._

_Freed: We got into contact with a lot of other people who have him to thank for their careers, and they all shared the sentiment. S-Class also agreed that starting a partnership with Fairy Tail made sense and so we started to make Fairy Tail what it is now._

_For those unaware, Fairy Tail is now seen as the best place to begin a wrestling career. They accept anyone showing promise, and their collaboration with S-Class allows for amateurs to prove their worth against some of the best wrestlers have to offer. Many other smaller wrestling guild have begun to have similar partnerships with S-Class, each guild having a selection of S-Class fighters there for their fighters to train with. This was an idea pioneered by Fairy Tail and thought of by both Laxus and Freed._

**_This was a big change in your life, do you think it was for the better?_ **

_Freed: I think so. We still had fights after that, as S-Class representatives for Fairy Tail, and allowed us to stretch out what we could do in the sport._

_Laxus: I remember the night we celebrated the new gym being open. It was actually a pretty important night for me._

* * *

"There you are my boy," Makarov grinned, pushing his way towards Laxus. "I've been looking for you."

Laxus couldn't help but grin at Makarov as he approached. The two were standing in the new Fairy Tail wresting complex, a large building with state-of-the-art equipment. It was the building's opening night, celebrating its transformation from being a small-time fighting guild to the starting place of wrestling's next generation. A place where newcomers would be welcomed, trained, have their characters refined of perfection, and given the chance to prove themselves against the best of the best.

Although many people had been involved in Fairy Tail's reinvention, Laxus and Freed had been big parts of it. When Makarov had confessed it was facing financial trouble, Laxus had suggested they give it a boost. Freed had agreed, but knew that just giving Makarov money was a temporary fix that wouldn't last. He was allowed to see the guild's finances, saw how much debt they were in, and drafted up a business plan to help.

At last, his father's insistence of him going to business school had done something good.

The two men had worked with Makarov closely, fully aware that Fairy Tail was his and everything should be to his liking. He resisted a little at first, but they always managed to find a compromise. Debts were paid by ex-Fairy Tail members who made it big, not out of charity but as a repayment for all he had done for them. They moved to a new building to accommodate the new equipment, but the old building remained under Fairy Tail's name and would be where all official matches would take place.

"Gramps," Laxus nodded in greeting. "Enjoying yourself?"

"More than you can believe," Makarov beamed up at him. "Still can't believe that this is Fairy Tail now. Pretty damn different to what it used to be: a run-down little gym tucked away in an alley in the middle of Magnolia. Now we're this," He looked around the room. "You're gonna have to teach me how to use half of the new stuff you brought in before we start accepting people, though. I don't even know what a cryogenic therapy unit is, let alone how it works."

"It's kind of like an ice bath, but more refined. Pretty easy to use," Laxus explained. "I had to fight Freed to get it, he kept saying sitting in a tin bath of ice cubes didn't do him any harm."

"Doesn't sound like Freed. Doesn't he like things being precise?"

"He's just being spiteful because he had to deal with frozen balls for three years," Laxus said with a grin.

He didn't see the smile Makarov sent him; he enjoyed seeing his grandson this happy.

The two walked throughout the gym where the celebration was taking place, and Laxus couldn't help but feel at home despite the building being unfamiliar. His time in S-Class had been incredible, but there was something comforting about being in Fairy Tail. It felt like he belonged here more than anywhere else, and he was glad to be back.

"Where is my future grandson-in-law," Makarov asked, and Laxus shot him a look. Marriage wasn't something he was ready for.

"He's being cornered by salamander," Laxus said, nodding to the corner where Natsu was inevitable challenging Freed to a sparring match. "One of use should probably try and help him."

"He can look after himself," Makarov said with a wave of his hand. He looked up at Laxus, his smile suddenly genuine. "I'm proud of you brat, I don't tell you that enough."

"Oh," Laxus said, the suddenness of the statement knocking him slightly. "Thanks."

"I mean it, I really am proud of who you've become," Makarov continued. "I'll be honest, when you told me you wanted to get into wrestling, I was scared for you. I knew how much you liked wrestling but, well, I think we can both agree that you weren't great at following through on things when you were a teenager. But look at you now, you work hard at everything you do, even helping an old man out. You've become something so much better than I could have hoped, and I really am so proud of you."

"Well, I mean," Laxus shrugged, a little uncomfortable. "I mean you helped me quite a lot. Put up with my bullshit and-"

"You don't have to," Makarov smiled. "I know your not the most comfortable with talking about your emotions, so I won't force it on you. I just wanted you to know."

Laxus nodded, sipping his beer. Makarov knew how appreciative he was of all that he'd done, it didn't need to be said. He looked down at the older man with a gentle smile, silently deciding that he had chosen to do the right thing. He and his grandfather were practically business partners now, and although they would undoubtedly clash on many decisions, it would be good.

He looked up around the room of people that were to be his employees. A small group were all looking in the same place, and Laxus chuckled when he saw what they were looking at. Freed and Natsu were leaning on a table, arm wrestling.

"You picked a good one," Makarov commented. "When you told me you were dating a man, I honestly thought you were joking. But then you told me it was Freed, and it made sense."

"I think it does," Laxus agreed.

"And, in the spirit of that, I've got something to give you," Makarov said.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small black box, wrapped with a bow. Laxus took the box with confusion and carefully opened it, revealing a selection of blue gemstones that Laxus guessed were sapphires. He looked down at them with furrowed brows, not understanding what he would actually do with them.

"I couldn't afford diamonds, when I proposed to your babulya, so the ring I offered her had sapphires," Makarov explained. "When we had Ivan, I planned to give the ring to him when he was ready. But that never happened. And the ring itself was a bit feminine for Freed, I think, so I thought you could maybe incorporate these into the ring you eventually get him."

"Gramps," Laxus said, looking at the gemstones.

"I know you're not ready to use it yet, and this isn't me passive aggressively telling you that you have to ask him," Makarov assured him. "Its just a thank you, for everything you've done. And for making me proud. And I see the way you look at him, you'll need them eventually."

Laxus couldn't help but smile. "Thanks, old man."

"Eh, I wasn't using 'em," Makarov shrugged. "Now, stop sulking in the corner. Your boyfriend just lost an arm wrestling contests with Natsu, how d'you think he'll feel when you're not there to piss him off by making jokes about it."

"It's practically neglect if I don't, right," Laxus grinned.

He carefully closed the box of sapphires and tucked it into the breast pocket of his blazer, walking towards his boyfriend. Freed was still sitting at the table he and Natsu had been arm wrestling at, watching the salmon hair man as he gloated about his win. Laxus grinned, there was a slight twitch in Freed's eyebrow as Natsu made sure everyone knew he had won. The blonde knocked him with his elbow and grinned down at him.

"Going into business has made you soft, Justine," He taunted with a grin. "Honestly, don't think I wanna be with you anymore after that. There's no attraction there anymore."

"Keep talking, I'm sure the couch will be delighted when you start to sleep on it," Freed retorted, and Laxus laughed. "I'm not joking Dreyar. I'm a proud man."

"Weird way to say you're a petty dick," Laxus grinned, and Freed laughed with a shake of the head. He stood up beside Laxus, smiling a little.

"I need a drink," Freed stated, walking to the confectionary table. Laxus joined him with a smile. "What did Makarov give you over there?"

"Oh, erm, it was the key to the old gym," Laxus lied, a little shocked that Freed had seen that. "He wanted to make a big deal about it, like passing the torch on. Y'know how he can be, gets a bit sentimental about these kinds of things."

Freed nodded, picking up a paper cup filled with beer. They walked to a corner of the gym where not many people were, Freed sitting on a bench intended for doing chest presses. Laxus caught himself staring at the man, and a warm feeling flowed throughout him. Even under the unflatteringly florescent lights, gulping down a crappy cup of beer, Laxus found him to be the most handsome man he had ever laid eyes on. He wondered if these were the type of looks Makarov had caught him doing.

The feeling of the gift box in his pocket felt heavy. He would use them. Sooner than Makarov had expected, perhaps.

"And just to be completely clear," Freed said after finished half of his beer without taking a breath. "The only reason I lost to that little loudmouthed idiot is because he kicked me under the table because he can't stand to lose."

"Sure. I totally believe you," Laxus smirked, and the glare he got made him laugh.

Maybe he'd be using the sapphires sooner than even he thought.

* * *

_At the end of this story, something rather wonderful happened. Freed looked to his husband with a softness in his expression that he had yet to show and asked if that truly was the moment Laxus had decided to marry him. Laxus had blushed a little and admitted that it was. It was a small thing, but a sign of real love that nobody could have tried to replicate._

**_How long after you decided did it take for you to actually ask?_ **

_Laxus: A little while. That was mainly because we were both so focused on making sure Fairy Tail was a strong company at the start._

_Freed: I have always wondered, did you originally intend to do some kind of grand proposal?_

_Laxus: I didn't have anything organised. I mean I had a couple of ideas, but I think the way I did it was the best way it could have happened._

**_Was it an impromptu thing then?_ **

_Laxus: Yeah, it was. I'd already had a ring made and I knew I was gonna do it soon. But the night I did it, I didn't actually intend._

_Freed: I think the way you did it was incredible. Better than any date or evening you could have planned._

* * *

Freed hissed a little as he pressed the bag of ice against his bruised stomach. He was sat in one of Fairy Tail's changing rooms, still in his Absolute Shadow costume, leaning against the back of the sofa as he tried to ignore the pain that he had gained from his last fight. It was a losing battle, and the bruises that had started to form over his visible skin were a testament to that.

"Christ," He whispered, looking at the purple-brown splotch across his ribs.

The fight had been a bad one. A new fighter from a different guild had been chosen to fight Freed as part of an S-Class event. Freed didn't know much about him beforehand, as the man had refused to meet with Freed as he claimed it affected his performance. All that Freed knew beforehand was that he was considered to be one of the best fighters of his guild, he always played the villain, and that his stage name was Acnologia

In retrospect, Freed should have done some research on him. His fighting style went far beyond brutal, and the man genuinely seemed as though he wanted to kill Freed. The finger marks still lingering on his neck showed that quite clearly.

He shifted a little, hissing at the pain the movement called.

The fight had been called off when it was clear that Acnologia cared not for Freed's health, and would happily break bones and cause permanent damage if it got him the win. Freed's memory of it stopped with the large man above him, one hand pinning him to the canvas by his neck, the other delivering punches to his stomach. He wasn't conscious after that but had been told nearly every Fairy Tail fighter available had stormed into the ring to stop him. Freed didn't remember that, instead he remembered waking up in the med bay.

They had done a few tests on him – checking for any broken bones or strains, and of course any potential concussions or fallout from being strangled – but apparently his injuries seemed to be relatively minor. He would be out of fighting for a while, Makarov had informed him, and Freed couldn't deny it made sense.

Once he had been cleared, Makarov had escorted Freed back to his changing room and, after being assured by Freed that he could look after himself, stormed off to find Acnologia's manager.

As Freed adjusted the ice pack, the door slammed open, revealing a panting, and panicked looking Laxus. He was dressed semi-formally, though his clothing was now ruffled a little, no doubt from rushing to get here. The couple didn't always watch each other's fights live – they would hardly be out of the gym if they did – and Laxus had gone for a drink with one of his older friends who happened to be in town; they had both assumed the fight would be nothing special.

Freed almost sighed; Laxus would probably feel guilty about that now.

"Are you okay?" Laxus demanded as he walked towards Freed.

The blonde looked him up and down, and his expression of concern deepened. Freed understood why, the bruises covering his exposed skin were bad enough, but the purple and black body-paint that made up his costume only made them seem worse. Freed didn't know what Laxus had been told about what happened, but he clearly knew the fight had been bad.

"I've been better," Freed nodded, shifting slightly to give Laxus space on the sofa beside him.

"Should kill that fucker," The blonde said through gritted teeth. Despite his clear anger, he carefully took the ice pack from Freed and started to apply it to Freed's bruised with a gentle touch.

"I think your grandfather might have beaten you to it," Freed laughed a little, trying not to show how the movement stung. "I assume he called you; how much did he tell you?"

"Not much, but the fight was on at the bar, so I saw what the bastard did to you," Laxus grunted, his grip on the ice pack tightening a little. Freed carefully brought his hand to Laxus' stroking his knuckled gently in a manner he hoped was comforting.

"I'm fine. Porlyusica claims my injuries are essentially just cosmetic," He assured him. "I need to wait a few weeks for them to heal, and I'll be fine."

"He strangled you," Laxus growled as he spoke. "And you fell unconscious. That ain't fine."

"We play a combat sport, passing out is something that happened," Freed tried to console him, but it seemed to fall on deaf ears. Freed couldn't blame him, he would be acting the same way if the roles were reversed. "People have fallen into comas; I was knocked out for no more than seven minutes- "

"It's seven minutes too fuckin many! It could have been seven fucking years!" Laxus shouted, before attempting to calm himself. "The ref should have stopped it, that's his job. And I saw his face, he was fucking scared of getting in the way because he didn't wanna get hit himself," His teeth clenched. "What if Natsu and Erza and whoever else didn't get involved. Cause the chicken-shit fucker meant to stop things wouldn't have done anything."

"They did stop it, though," Freed smiled. "There's no point in torturing yourself about what might have happened."

"I should have been there," Laxus sighed.

"No you shouldn't," Freed said firmly. "We can't live in fear of each other getting hurt every time we fight, that's not healthy. We've missed each other's fights many times, and nothing bad has happened before this," He stroked Laxus' knuckles again. "Besides, if you cancelled on Cana she would have killed both of us."

"I guess," Laxus let out a small laugh, though it was forced.

"How has she been?" Freed asked.

Laxus knew Freed was trying to distract him but decided that he wouldn't make a big deal about it. He began to talk about their night, about how Cana was dealing with being on tour with a group of other wrestlers to bring attention to the sport. She had started to learn card reading because of how often she would be in the back of a minivan with no wifi and nothing better to do. She had challenged herself to drink one regional beer from everywhere she went to and was ranking them as she did so. Apparently she was enjoying being on tour but missed sleeping in places other than crappy motels.

As Laxus recounted his night before seeing the fight, he continued to tend to Freed's wounds. He couldn't stop the look of concern as he saw the blotchy bruises over Freed's ribs and heard Freed suck in a breath when he pushed the ice onto them.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He asked, voice gentle.

"I'm fine," Freed assured him, and Laxus glared. With a sigh he spoke again. "I have felt worse than this, as have you. I imagine it looked a lot worse than it was."

"Maybe," Laxus sighed, clearly not believing him. "It's just-"

Freed cut him off by leaning forward and pressing their lips together, kissing him softly and running a hand down his cheek in a gentle motion. Laxus returned it, moving cautiously at the start to make sure he didn't add to Freed's pain. The injured man smiled a little at the thoughtfulness of the action, leaning a little further into the kiss before pulling apart, absently nuzzling his nose against Laxus'. The blonde grinned a little at that; few people knew that his nose was slightly ticklish.

They sat like that for a short while, neither saying anything, just enjoying the comfort that the other man brought. Laxus had closed his eyes, and Freed planted a chaste kiss against his lips, watching as his mouth quirked up into a smile.

"You promise me you're not hiding how bad it is?"

"I'm bruised, and I hurt everywhere. But I'm a wrestler, so I'd be disappointed if I felt any different," Freed said, and Laxus nodded. "I am starting to cramp up a little, though. Could you run me an ice bath?"

"Fucks sake," Laxus laughed, shaking his head. "Are you still refusing to use the cryo-units"

"I take the baths because it helps with getting rid of the makeup," Freed defended himself, before grinning. "Although now that you bring it up, cryogenic units are nothing, but a scam meant to fool gullible people like yourself into paying far too much for something that can be achieved by a bucket of ice."

"Sure thing, Snowballs," Laxus grinned, laughing at the glare the nickname garnered.

He stood up and walked towards the changing room's bathroom but stopped himself at the door. Freed watched him with a small frown, seeing him turn around with a contemplative expression on his face. He was looking at Freed, who was looking back at him with a face of confusion as to why he had stopped. The expression of confusion only intensified when Laxus smiled a smile that could only be described as giddy.

"Is everything okay?" Freed asked.

"Yeah," Laxus said, and his voice cracked on the word. "It's fucking amazing."

"That's… good," Freed spoke with hesitance."

"Yeah it is," Laxus grinned. "I love you Freed. I love you so fucking much. When I'm with you, it's like my blood is... fizzing. Like I'm alive in a way I've never felt like before. Like I'm stronger and quicker and better than I thought I could have been. And you make me feel safe, and vulnerable, and comfortable, and just better. And you're perfect, Freed. You're strong, you don't put up with anyone's shit, you're smart as fuck, you know exactly who you are. And you're stubborn and snarky and a bit of a dick but it's amazing and I love it," Laxus laughed a little. "I love every fucking part of you, Freed. I really do."

Freed went to speak, but Laxus interrupted by going down on his knee.

"I am so much more of myself because of you, Freed. I used to be fucking pathetic, trying to be this guy I'm not. I was so fast all the time, never thought things through, always locked off my emotions. You made me better, Freed. I am fuckin' honoured to know you, to love you, to be the man on your arm."

He pulled out a small black box from his pocket and flipped it open.

Inside it was a ring. A silver ring with a black centre, with a pattern of lines resembling scales almost. At the top of the ring rested a large blue gemstone, glittering under the light reflecting off it. Laxus went to speak again, but Freed beat him to it.

"Wait, just let me say something," Freed said, his smile so soft it seemed to melt Laxus' worries. "Let me make it explicitly clear that the honour is all mine. You have brought more life to me than you could possibly believe, brought me joy and compassion and love in a way that I will forever be grateful for. I truly adore you and love you so much."

"Eloquent fucker," Laxus grinned, and Freed laughed. "So, Freed Justine, will you marry me?"

"Laxus Dreyar, I will most definitely marry you."

Laxus lurched up and kissed Freed again, still being careful not to add any pain to Freed as he did so. He carefully removed the ring from the box and slid it down Freed's finger, and Freed smiled into the kiss as he felt it. He wrapped his ringed hand into Laxus' hair, pulling him as close as his injuries would allow. He felt Laxus; hand rest on his waist, and a small laugh split apart his lips as he pulled away.

"What?" Laxus asked, a smile on his face.

"Nothing. It's just I can't believe we did this while I was in costume," Freed grinned, motioning down to his painted torso.

"I can't believe I called you a dick when I was meant to be confessing my undying love to you. And then you said yes anyway," Laxus chuckled. "Your standards are slippin'."

"My standards are exceptionally high. You just happen to meet them," Freed smiled. "And I can be a dick, so it's fair."

"Shocked you didn't get a shot in at me."

"And that's why we'll be writing our own vows. That was I can spend time thinking about how I'll insult you," Freed grinned, and Laxus laughed.

"Give me your worst," He challenged.

"You'll live to regret that," Freed grinned, and kissed him again.

* * *

_Although he probably didn't realise it, I had seen Freed absently playing with his wedding ring as he told the story. They both finished the story smiling, and it’s perhaps the softest the two of them have been throughout the interview, and it warmed my heart greatly._

**_If you didn't intend to propose that night, why did you have the ring?  
_ ** _  
Laxus: Gramps told me that, you can plan it as much as you want, but they'll be a moment when you know it's right. Kept the ring with me all the time just in case; glad I did._

_Freed: Me too. I really don't think it could have been better._

**_The fight you had with Acnologia wasn't that long ago, did you intend to have a quick wedding?_ **

_Freed: As you've probably guessed, we like to have control over who knows about our private lives. We wanted our wedding to be private and thought that having it relatively soon would lower the chance of people finding out._

_Laxus: And neither of us like attention out of the ring. We didn't want a big wedding, or a drawn-out engagement. We just wanted to be married._

**_You haven't spoken publicly about the wedding itself, other than stating it happened. What can you tell me about how it happened?_ **

_Freed: As we said, we never intended to have a large ceremony. We only wanted our closest friends and family there._

_Laxus: We tried not to make it a big deal, because the marriage was what was important. We only let a few people know we were doing it at all, actually._

* * *

"Everything's ready," Makarov smiled. "So when you're ready, we can start."

Laxus nodded. The two were standing in the kitchen of his and Freed's house, surrounded by their closest friends. Laxus felt a buzzing nervous excitement in his stomach; in less than an hour, Freed was going to be his husband. The fact made him feel exhilarated, more energised that any fight had ever made him, and simply happy. It felt right that he was going to marry Freed, as if it was what he was always meant to do.

"Thanks for helping out, old man," Laxus smiled. "And for managing to keep it a secret."

"It's a pleasure," Makarov grinned. "They're in for a shock."

Laxus looked out at the group of people before them. There was only four of them: Bickslow, Evergreen, Mirajane and Cana. They had taken the idea of a small wedding seriously, as these would be the only guests. The couple had also decided not to tell their guests that tonight would be their wedding, instead inviting them on the pretence that they would be having a dinner party. Only Makarov had been told, as he was officiating the wedding himself.

Well, Freed's father had also been told. He hadnt replied to the invitation; he and Freed hadn't spoken since the public revelation of his and Laxus' relationship.

"Can I have everyone's attention, please," Laxus said, and the small group of people looked to him. Freed walked beside him. "I'm sure you might be wondering why we decided to host this?"

"Kinda wondering why we're at a dinner party without food," Bickslow grinned, and Laxus laughed.

"You'll get fed soon enough," Freed assured him, also smiling. "But we need to confess that we didn't invite you here just to share a meal with us. We also know that some of you have been asking us about when we intend to get married, and how we plan on doing it."

"We decided that, rather than having a big party, we'd do something a bit more… low-key," Laxus continued. "So… the reason you're here is, this is our wedding."

There was a moment of silence, where the gathered group seemed to process what they had said. Mirajane was the first person who seemed to recover, and her expression became a beaming smile that must have hurt. She walked forward and wrapped them both in a large hug, her grip so tight that Laxus let out a small grunt. Freed laughed and gently patted her back as she ran her hands up and down both of their arms.

"I'm so happy for you both," Her voice quivered slightly as she spoke. "You're going to be so happy; I know it."

Almost the moment Mirajane removed herself, Evergreen and Bickslow were on the two of them, hugging them with even more force. They too gave their congratulations, and Laxus noticed that Bickslow had to wipe away a tear that was sliding down his cheek. The blonde didn't say anything, just gave a small nod towards the man, who grinned back at him.

Cana, rather than hugging them, punched them both on the arm. She claimed she would have put more effort into what she was wearing if she knew they'd be getting married, and that if she messed up the wedding photos then it was there damn fault. It was her own way of congratulating them, they didn't expect anything less.

"Why didn't you tell us you were doing it tonight, though?" Mirajane asked after the congratulations died down.

"Well, when we were considerin' what out wedding should be like, we both knew we wanted it to be small and private," Laxus explained. "Freed suggested that we could do it in the back yard – it's as nice as any grand hallway or church – and honestly, the more we thought about it, the more it seemed to be the best option. Private, personal, quiet, and only for us. Exactly what we wanted."

"We understand that this isn't the most conventional wedding," Freed continued. "But this was the best thing for us, and we were set on the idea. We didn't tell you because we didn't want you to try and convince us to do something more… theatrical."

"A little hypocritical from a man who just dramatically revealed a secret," Evergreen teased.

"I suppose," Freed chuckled. "But every wedding needs some drama."

"Well, if you're all ready," Makarov interrupted, grinning from ear to ear. "We can go outside and begin."

Their garden had been transformed for the event. A wooden archway had been placed at the end of the grass, with four ornate white chairs looking towards it. Paper lanterns illuminated the evening sky, being strung between trees, shimmering in the moonlight. A trail of white petals led towards the archway from the garden door, making up what would conventionally be the isle. It was simple, understated, and perfect.

The guests took their seats. Bickslow and Evergreen sat on the left the of petal isle, and Cana and Mirajane sat on the right. Laxus noted that they were holding hands as they did so and smiled a little.

Both Freed and Laxus remained at the garden door.

"I'm so lucky to be with you," Laxus whispered.

"It wasn't luck. You were yourself, and I was myself," Freed smiled. "And it just made sense."

Laxus grinned, and soon music started to play. They began to walk down the isle arm in arm, and Laxus couldn't deny that he had never been happier. He felt radiant, standing behind the man that was to be his husband.

He glanced towards Freed as they walked; he looked incredible. He wore a red suit with a curling pattern embroidered onto it. His shirt underneath was black, as were his trousers and shoes. His hair was tied near the bottom, allowing it to frame his face to perfection. Every second of looking at him reaffirmed Laxus' love for the man. He was truly perfect.

Laxus himself wore a simpler suit, made of grey tweed. The only colour in the outfit was his red tie, fit with the same pattern as the fabric of Freed's jacket. It was both the perfect compliment to what Freed wore, but also slightly contrasted against it.

Freed had commented that it reflected their personalities. Different but similar.

When they got to the end of the isle, they turned to face each other. Makarov smiled at them both, and Laxus was vaguely aware that Mirajane was holding a handkerchief to her eye. The music reached its end, and Makarov began to speak.

"Love is a difficult thing to find," He began, voice somewhat wistful. "Some people think it's complete adoration of each other. Some people think it's loyalty indefinitely. Some people think it's finding the person who shares your opinion on everything. And while I think those can be a part of love, I don't think that's what true love is.

"I think true love is finding the person who you can smile with. Who can make you laugh in the worst of times, the person who can wipe away your tears and reaffirm you when your shaken. The person who cares for you so much, that when you are hurt then they hurt too. The person who can find your faults, and help you grow past them. Put simply, when you're in love, you become the best version of yourself.

"Throughout the years of Laxus and Freed knowing each other, I've seen them grow with each other. They have become better, stronger, and kinder. They have become in love," Makarov let out a small sniffle. He was crying. "When I think back to the day I introduced them to each other, I thank god that I did. I thank god my pig-headed grandson refused S-Class to follow his dream, and instead fought to get what he wanted. I thank god Freed didn't turn out to be a pretty-boy faux-wrestler like Laxus clearly expected and proved himself worthy time and time again. I thank god fate allowed you to meet when you did, because you are so damn good for each other. I thank god you grew to trust each other, care for each other, and love each other."

Makarov let out a shaky breath. "You two are perfect for one another. Because of this, I think there is only one vow you need to make. So, Laxus Dreyar. Do you swear that, for the rest of your days, you will grow with Freed? To love him with patience and passion and strength?"

"I do," Laxus promised, and he was more certain that he could keep this promise than anything else.

"Freed. Do you swear that, for the rest of your days, you will grow with Laxus? To love him with patience and passion and strength?"

"I do," Freed promised, and the smile on his face was god-like to Laxus.

"Then please, slide the rings onto each other's fingers as a symbol of your bond."

They both removed the rings form the quilted pillow they rested on. They were simple rings, made from obsidian. Laxus' had been encrusted with a thin line of yellow diamonds. Freed's was the same, only rather than diamonds, his was encrusted with the remaining sapphires that Makarov had gifted Laxus.

"I now pronounce you as a married couple," Makarov finished. "You may kiss each other to seal this union."

Laxus brought his hand to the back of Freed's neck, Freed placed his hand on Laxus' waist, and they moved together and brought each other into a kiss. It was the first kiss Laxus had shared with his husband, and that moment was a perfect memory.

* * *

_As they recount the story of their wedding, it now clearer than ever how much these men mean to each other. They have stood beside one another throughout multiple gruelling hardships, in the good days and the bad. They act as role models for the next generation, both as brilliant sportsmen and excellent people. They are so deeply in love with one another, and care so much for the other, I believe they are one of the great love stories of our generation._

_The story of Laxus Dreyar and Freed Justine is a beautifully complicated one. The love they share for one another is so uncynical, and one I feel privileged to see so close. I look forward to seeing what these amazing men do in the future, and what fate hold for them._

**_Written By: Jason Thompson of Sorcerer Weekly._ **


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